Thibaut Courtois bemoans Ballon d’Or snub saying ‘without a good goalkeeper you don’t win a trophy’

Thibaut Courtois has hit the mark after being voted just the seventh best player of the past year despite winning the Yashin trophy.

The Belgian goalkeeper was firmly in between the sticks for Real Madrid as they rush to a LaLiga-Champions League double in 2021-22.

The 30-year-old has suggested that those in his position are often overlooked when it comes to individual prizes, such as the Ballon d’Or, and has argued the importance of his counterparts in the game.

He told L’Equipe: ‘Without a good goalkeeper you won’t win a trophy. And with football prizes we sometimes forget that.

“People are more likely to vote for a striker who scores goals than for a goalkeeper. Unfortunately. But we will continue to show that goalkeepers are really important.

Karim Benzema won the Ballon d’Or 2022 with a total of 549 votes

“If we won the Champions League last year, it wasn’t just because of Vinicius, (Federico) Valverde, (Karim) Benzema or Rodrygo. It was also thanks to Courtois.

‘The modern goalkeeper is no longer just about saving goals. Here in Madrid I also have to start playing, it is I who will decide with the first pass how we are going to attack or how we get out of the pressure of the rival.

‘Today you are almost a playmaker, goalkeepers are much more important than you think.’

The shot-stopper played a major role at Los Blancos last season, having been between the sticks 52 times in all competitions.

And his claimed stake on the side is backed up by numbers, as he managed to keep 22 clean sheets during that time — a 42 percent success rate.

But he’s been a little less impressive by his own high standards this season, knocking out the opponent just three times in nine games – a 33 percent success rate – and has yet to do that in the league.

The Belgian number 1 is also likely to continue his work on the international stage during this winter’s World Cup, as the Red Devils continue their search for a first piece of major silverware.

The 30-year-old Belgian was crucial when Real Madrid won a LaLiga-Champions League double

He added that his side is often scapegoated for poor team display, saying: “It’s often written in big letters (in the papers) when it’s a goalkeeper making a mistake.

“As soon as he makes a small mistake, they kill him and say he lost the match.

“Sometimes we forget that the striker missed five or six easy chances before that.”

In total, Courtois received 82 votes in the Ballon d’Or ranking, just 14.9 percent of the vote from his teammate and winner Benzema.